Exotic Shorthair

These cats are relaxed, affectionate and easy to groom. They are loyal, loving and playful without being clingy or demanding. Of course they are also gorgeous to look at with their thick, plush coats.

History

The Exotic Shorthair was the result of crossing a Persian with a Burmese in the 1950s by U.S. cat breeder. Her intention was to develop a brown Persian. However, the result was a litter of black, shorthaired kittens.

As with so many breeding "accidents" the result was a litter of very appealing, cute and pretty kittens... and the start of a new breed. The kittens that Bussey’s cat produced had the beauty and sweet nature of the Persian and the added appeal of being far easier to groom thanks to their short hair.

Bussey was a highly professional breeder and she used very exacting standards when running her breeding program.

Persians were used regularly as Outcrosses when developing the breed and later expanding the genetic pool. There is a 25 percent chance of the offspring being longhaired. However, the offspring would not be Persians but, oddly, longhaired Exotic Shorthairs.

In 1966 the breed achieved recognition. Since 1975 the gene pool has been considered large and strong and outcrossing was limited to the Persian after 1987.

Personality

The Exotic Shorthair is a delightful breed that is loving, calm, laid-back, quiet and easy to keep happy. These cats are ideal in a range of homes including flats or apartments. They are very similar in nature to the Persian with a few small differences.

Exotics are more active and playful than the average Persian despite the fact that they love lounging around, especially on an inviting lap where cuddles are on offer. In fact, these cats stay very playful and kitten-like quite far into their lives. They are also competent hunters, though, and will control mice and other rodents.

The Exotic Shorthairs enjoy human company the most. They will gaze at their owner, blink slowly, lie on a lap, purr, cuddle, or give their owners gentle kisses. They find numerous effective ways to show their love and to communicate their needs and wants.

While they are very playful cats they are not overly active or jumpers. They love a game but are at their happiest when relaxing on a lap or having a cuddle. The Exotic Shorthair does in fact have the reputation of being one of the most gentle and loyal of all cat breeds without being either clingy or overly demanding. However, they prefer not to be left alone frequently or for extended periods.

While Exotic Shorthairs are lap cats and will follow their owner around sometimes, they may or may not sleep on their person’s bed. Because their glorious, dense fur means that they will seek out cooler places and surfaces regularly in order to cool off.

The Exotic Shorthair is considered one of the more intelligent of the cat breeds with a healthy dose of natural feline curiosity. This means that they are easy to train. In fact, these cats practically house train themselves. These cats can be taught to play fetch, to sit, run an agility course and even use a toilet.

Because they are playful and intelligent these cats enjoy games and mental stimulation. You can keep your cat mentally and physically active by giving it puzzles and toys or by doing agility training with it. You will be surprised by how eager your cat will be to solve puzzles and go through an agility course.

Appearance

As previously stated, the Exotic Shorthair looks like a Persian. The Exotic has a short or medium length, rich and plush coat. This breed is accepted in any colour and pattern including calico, colour point, striped and white.

These cats are stocky-looking with fairly short, round legs under a rounded and well muscled body. The Exotic Shorthair is a medium to large cat with big bones and a stocky, muscular build. The males reach 11 to 15 lbs (5 to 6.75 kg) and the smaller females weigh between 6 and 11 lbs (2.5 to 5 kg). The weight of the Exotic is greater thanks to its dense bones than any other factor. Topping its strong body is a fairly large head.

The breed has a short, broad skull and face; a flat muzzle; large, widely set and round eyes and a sweet, kitten-like expression.

Health

The life expectancy for an Exotic Shorthair is between 12 and 20 years if he or she is well fed and cared for!